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Windsor Heights opens FY27 budget process, staff proposes 15-cent levy increase
Summary
City staff kicked off the FY27 budget process, proposed a 15-cent increase to the total tax levy to shore up special revenue balances, and outlined projected revenues, a tighter budgeting approach and CIP priorities including 74th and 73rd street work.
City staff opened the FY27 public-facing budget process at the Feb. 2 Windsor Heights City Council meeting and outlined a schedule of committee reviews, individual council meetings and a work session in mid-February.
Michelle (staff) emphasized a shift toward tighter, more realistic budgeting that compresses contingency-heavy line items (for example, snow costs) to reflect typical actual expenditures and improve visibility into performance versus budget. "Instead of thinking it's snowageddon every day, we're going to tighten that up and see if we can't get ourselves closer to what our actual expenses are," Michelle said.
Staff proposed a 15-cent increase to the total tax levy rates (a proposed levy of 14.36 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) intended to mitigate drawdown of the special revenue levy balance. Michelle said a 2.7% increase in property valuations produced roughly $59,740 in additional general-fund revenue to work with; staff also noted a projected reduction in interest income and continued high employment that push salary-related expenses upward.
On capital priorities, staff highlighted completion of 68th Street South and 73rd Street North, full reconstruction of 74th Street, milling overlays for 77th Street and M Avenue, and a 65th Street storm-sewer project. Staff said some projects have cash on hand while others may be timed with bond issuance to smooth levy impacts; staff also noted a healthy TIF (tax-increment financing) fund that can fund urban-renewal-area projects but cannot be used outside those areas.
Staff reported the storm-water fee would increase by 50 cents in FY26 to support stormwater fund needs and said one ambulance purchase originally planned for FY26 has been moved into FY27 expenditures. Council and staff also discussed longer-term debt timing and the potential effect of external factors such as a reported Norfolk Southern abandonment filing that could affect the 73rd Street project.
Next steps include finance-committee review, a work session in mid-February and scheduled public hearings; staff asked council members to provide written feedback on council goals ahead of a red-line update.
